| Tsugaru Line | |
| Color: | 00b2e5 |
| Type: | Heavy rail Passenger |
| Stations: | 18 |
| Owner: | JR East |
| Stock: | KiHa 40, 701 series (electrified section only), HB-E300 series (resort trains only) |
| Linelength: | 55.8km (34.7miles) |
| Electrification: | 20 kV AC, 50 Hz (Aomori to Shin Naka-Oguni Signal) |
The is a railway line operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The line connects Aomori Station in Aomori with Minmaya Station in Imabetsu on the Tsugaru Peninsula in western Aomori Prefecture.
On 3 August 2022, the section between Kanita and Minmaya suffered significant flood damage and has been out of service since then.[1] JR East has since announced that the section will be permanently closed on 1 April 2027.[2]
From 13 March 1988 (the opening of the Seikan Tunnel) until 26 March 2016, the section of the line between Aomori and Naka-Oguni was part of the Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line - a line that consisted of portions of 4 separate lines which connected Aomori Station in Honshu through the Seikan Tunnel to Hokkaido. The junction of the Tsugaru and Kaikyo Lines is [<nowiki/>[[:ja::新中小国信号場|ja]]], 2.3km (01.4miles) past Naka-Oguni Station.
On 26 March 2016 the Hokkaido Shinkansen commenced operation, replacing all existing passenger services through the Seikan Tunnel. From this date the "Tsugaru-Kaikyō" line name ceased to be used, with the Kaikyō Line (—) becoming a freight-only line.
From 1 May 2017, the luxury excursion train Train Suite Shiki-shima commenced operation using the Tsugaru Line and the Kaikyo Line.[3] [4]
| Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Transfers | Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between stations | Total | |||||
| 青森 | - | 0.0 | Ōu Main Line Aoimori Railway Line | Aomori | Aomori Prefecture | |
| 油川 | 6.0 | 6.0 | ||||
| 津軽宮田 | 3.7 | 9.7 | ||||
| 奥内 | 1.8 | 11.5 | ||||
| 左堰 | 1.6 | 13.1 | ||||
| 後潟 | 1.6 | 14.7 | ||||
| 中沢 | 2.1 | 16.8 | ||||
| 蓬田 | 2.3 | 19.1 | Yomogita | |||
| 郷沢 | 2.0 | 21.1 | ||||
| 瀬辺地 | 2.3 | 23.4 | ||||
| 蟹田 | 3.6 | 27.0 | Sotogahama | |||
| Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Transfers | Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between stations | Total (from Aomori) | |||||
| 蟹田 | - | 27.0 | Sotogahama | |||
| 中小国 | 3.4 | 31.4 | Kaikyō Line (freight only, no passenger services) | |||
| Shin Naka-Oguni Signal Statio | 新中小国信号場 | 2.3 | 33.7 | End of electrification. Junction of Kaikyō Line | ||
| 大平 | 3.6 | 35.0 | ||||
| 津軽二股 | 11.6 | 46.6 | • Kaikyō Line (freight only, no passenger services)• Hokkaido Shinkansen (Okutsugaru-Imabetsu Station) | Imabetsu | ||
| 大川平 | 2.0 | 48.6 | ||||
| 今別 | 2.4 | 51.0 | ||||
| 津軽浜名 | 1.7 | 52.7 | ||||
| 三厩 | 3.1 | 55.8 | ||||
† From March 2021 until 3 August 2022, GV-E400 series DEMU operated all Kanita—Minmaya services and the Aomori—Kanita—Minmaya through services (1 daily trip in each direction). From 3 August 2022 until 14 March 2025 they operated the Aomori—Kanita section of the former Aomori—Kanita—Minmaya through services (1 daily trip in each direction).[6]
Plans existed to link the prefectural capital of Aomori with the northern tip of the Tsugaru Peninsula from the time of the Meiji period Railway Construction Act. In 1930, the privately held Tsugaru Railway began operations on the western side of Tsugaru Peninsula, and surveying work was completed by the Japanese Government Railways (JGR) to build a government-operated line on the eastern side of Tsugaru Peninsula. These plans were postponed by the outbreak of World War II and were only resumed in the 1950s under the Japanese National Railways (JNR).
On 5 December 1951, the first segment of the Tsugaru Line was completed from Aomori to Kanita. This was extended by 21 October 1958, to the present northern terminus at . Additional intermediate stations were added in 1959 and 1960.
All scheduled freight operations were suspended on 10 December 1984.
With the privatization of the JNR on 1 April 1987, the line came under the operational control of JR East.
In 1988 the Aomori–Shin Naka-Oguni Signal Station section was electrified in conjunction with the opening of the Seikan Tunnel and associated Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line.
From 13 March 1988 (the opening of the Seikan Tunnel), the tracks between Aomori Station and the Shin Naka-Oguni Signal Station became part of the Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line, jointly used by JR East, JR Hokkaido's Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line, and Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight).
On 26 March 2016 the Hokkaido Shinkansen commenced operation and replaced all existing passenger services through the Seikan Tunnel. The "Tsugaru-Kaikyō" line name ceased to be used, with the Kaikyō Line (—) becoming a freight-only line.
On 1 May 2017, the luxury excursion train Train Suite Shiki-shima commenced operation using the Tsugaru Line between Aomori and Naka-Oguni to access the Kaikyo Line en route to Hokkaido.
On 3 August 2022, the section between Kanita and Minmaya suffered significant flood damage and has been out of service since then with replacement bus and shared taxi services operating.[7] On 23 May 2024, Imabetsu Town was the final local government to agree with the permanent conversion of the Kanita to Minmaya section to bus & taxi services.[8] JR East has announced that the section will be officially closed on 1 April 2027.
This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia.
